May 21, 2010

BOX SCORE GAME ONE

BOX SCORE GAME TWO

JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- Longwood University split a season-ending baseball doubleheader on the road at Saint Peter's University of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Friday in Jersey City, New Jersey. The Lancers (28-20) won the first game 13-6 on the strength of three hits and three RBI from senior Scott Kimble/Spotsylvania (Spotsylvania), including a home run and triple, along with a complete-game effort on the mound by senior right-handed pitcher Lance Harting/Ballston Spa, N.Y. (Ballston Spa) who finished his final season with a perfect record of 10-0. The Peacocks (18-34) won the second game 10-0 to earn the split of the two games as Longwood completed its 2010 campaign with the action in New Jersey.

In the opener, Longwood scored seven runs in the first and never looked back, adding one run in the second, two runs in the third, and three more runs in the sixth. In the first, senior Casey Havers/Thorofare, N.J. (West Deptford) (3-5, RBI) delivered an RBI single and later scored on an error along with junior Brant Jones/Richmond (Monacan) (3-5, 2 RBI), who had singled as well. Senior David Smiy Jr./Chesterfield (Matoaca) (3-5, RBI) also had a run-scoring single and later scored on another error, while Kimble (3-5, 3 RBI) and Jones each contributed RBI singles as 12 batters went to the plate in the inning. In the second, freshman Justin Lacy/Glen Allen (J.R. Tucker) (1-3, RBI) had an RBI single, while in the third, Jones had another RBI single and senior Phil Cerreto/Midlothian (Midlothian) (1-5, RBI) drove in a run when reaching on a fielder's choice. Cerreto doubled in his last at-bat of the first game to give him 24 doubles for a new school-record (Charlie Yarbrough, 20, 2004). In the sixth, senior Robbie Bailey/Mechanicsville (Hanover) (2-4, RBI) contributed another run-scoring single before Kimble hit a two-run home run to left for his fourth homer as the Lancers collected 18 hits in game one.

Harting (10-0) went the distance on the mound for the Longwood pitching win with 7.0 innings, scattering 12 hits and six runs, all earned, with three strikeouts and two walks. The 10 wins this season by Harting rank fourth-best all-time, and are the most since the program began playing the Division I?schedule in 2005, while the winning percentage (1.000) ties the school-record (Dennis Hale, 11-0, 1990).

In the nightcap, unfortunately, Saint Peter's scored two runs in the second and five runs in the third for an early 7-0 advantage en route to its home shutout win in the final game of the season for visiting Longwood. The highlight for the Lancers was Havers (1-3) getting a one-out single in the sixth, his final career at-bat, to extend his hitting streak to a new school-record 27 games (Michael Tucker, 25, 1991). Cerreto (1-3) also collected a single in his final career at-bat in the sixth to give him 256 career hits for another new school-record (Brian Medley, 254, 2001-04) as well.

Cerreto (0-1), a third baseman, took the pitching loss for Longwood while making his first career start in his final game, tossing the first 2.1 innings and allowing six hits and six runs, all earned, with one strikeout and one walk.

Kimble (1-3), Smiy (1-3), and Bailey (1-3) each added hits as well in their respective final games for Longwood, while Harting (0-2) played the final game's duration at second base for the Lancers who were shutout for only the second time this year. This year's senior class compiled a four-year record of 111-87-1. Unfortunately, Jones (0-3) had his hitting streak end at 22 games -- still fourth-best in the program's 33 years. Havers (78, .411), Cerreto (77, .414), and Jones (74, .402) finished the season with their respective hit totals ranking second, third, and tied for fourth-best all-time, as each amazingly hit above .400 for the season. Cerreto's 60 RBI also rank fourth-best all-time.

Longwood could return as many as 20 lettermen for the 2011 campaign as veteran 32nd-year head coach Charles Buddy Bolding finished this season with 872 career wins (872-477-4, .646).